More teacher bullying accusations at Stoneman Douglas

The latest drama at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland is about drama.

Weeks after the ouster of the school's cheerleading coach over accusations of bullying and pay to play, parents are now divided over new allegations of bullying in the drama department.

Speaking before the Broward school board last week, Victor Shaffer claimed his daughter was being "consistently bullied" by her drama teacher, Melody Herzfeld, who has taught in the department for the past nine years. He said the bullying began after he and his wife told the school they believed Herzfeld covered up student drinking during a drama competition last year. But he did not get into specifics about what happened and was not clear as to how his daughter was being bullied.

He told the board he tried to meet with Herzfeld but she declined.He also asked the school to look into the matter, but called their investigation "delayed" and "insufficient." So he turned to the district and asked it to conduct a thorough investigation "to avoid another cheerleader-type situation."

Herzfeld's attorney, Kenneth Cutler, dismissed the accusations and asked the board to remove Shaffer's daughter from the class. "You are placing an extraordinary, compassionate and hard-working educator in an untenable position where she is being harassed on a daily basis by these parents."

About a dozen parents stood in solidarity behind the handful of speakers that praised Herzfeld, who is still teaching at the school.

"I have Miss Herzfeld to thank for the success of my child. This is what she does for all the kids; she's an inspiration, she's a mentor, she's an amazing person," said former parent Stacy Kagan.

The public outpouring was reminiscent of prior meetings where some Stoneman Douglas parents rallied around cheerleading coach Melissa Prochilo, while others complained the now ex-coach had allegedly required the girls to pay cheerleading fees.

In the end, Prochilo's contract was not renewed, though the reason was not made clear by either the superintendent or the board.

While the two instances may make it appear the school is rife with divisions, PTA president Jan Hediger says that's not the case at the 3,000-student school.

"We get a bad rap because we have some very vocal parents and vocal people who have a sense of entitlement," Hediger said. She said there are proper channels at the school level for these issues to be resolved.

Shaffer said he and his wife "are not stage parents" disputing casting decisions. He said his only incentive was the safety of his 15-year-old daughter.

Kagan said public complaints have overshadowed the school's accomplishments. "This is a good school, it's just getting bad press."